Fowles, Augustus make Olympic team

Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles never won an NCAA title in two years together at LSU, but they'll try to win a gold medal for the United States later this summer.
The former LSU stars were among nine players selected to be members of the women's national team that will compete with squads from 11 other countries at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 9-24.

Also on the team are Olympic veterans Lisa Leslie, Katie Smith, Tina Thompson, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird and first-time Olympians Candace Parker and Cappie Pondexter.
"I'm just thrilled to have these nine players officially named to the team," said Anne Donovan, the U.S. women's Olympic basketball team coach. "It's such a great mixture of Olympic gold medalists with some really tremendous young talent."
Augustus and Fowles are the first LSU players to make the team since the sport was introduced to the Games in 1976.
Fowles solidified a spot with a dominant performance for Team USA in the Good Luck Beijing Tournament in April. Fowles led the tournament in scoring (17.0 per game) and blocked shots (2.5) and was second in rebounding (10.5).
That team, which included Leslie, Smith and Swin Cash, lost to China 84-81 in the gold medal game. Bird, Taurasi, Thompson, Augustus and Pondexter all were playing abroad and did not play for the U.S. team.
"She is so dominant, but more than that what a sweet kid and what a great addition to this team she is," Donovan said of Fowles. "Sylvia stepped onto the stage (in Beijing) and showed just how great she is."
Fowles, 23, is the second-youngest member of the team, behind Parker, 22.
"I'm very excited and happy to be on board," Fowles said. "I'm ready to win the gold medal."
Augustus helped the U.S. team qualify for Beijing with a strong performance in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Valdivia, Chile. She averaged 10.6 points as a reserve.
"Being able to make the team for the first time means a great deal to me," Augustus said. "This has really been a great experience being around such great players."
The Baton Rouge native is one of the top offensive players on the roster, but Donovan said she has sacrificed much of her scoring for the good of the U.S. team.
"I'm so impressed with her willingness to really shape her game to benefit USA Basketball," Donovan said. "This is what I expect will be the first of several Olympic teams for her."
Augustus is the first Louisianian to make the team since 1996, when Ruston's Venus Lacy (Louisiana Tech) helped lead the U.S. to a gold medal in Atlanta. The only other Louisiana product to make the team was Tickfaw's Kim Mulkey, also of Louisiana Tech, in 1984.
The other three members will be announced by July¤1. Donovan, along with USA Basketball President Val Ackerman and USA Basketball women's senior national team committee chair Renee Brown, will select the team from a pool of 20 candidates.
Possible candidates include Shreveport native Alana Beard, a guard with the Washington Mystics, and Homer native Cheryl Ford, a forward with the Detroit Shock, along with Kara Lawson, Cash, Lindsey Harding and Lindsay Whalen.
"We're hoping to add a tough defensive stopper on the perimeter who can also score for us, as well as at least another post player," Brown said. 
Jeff Duncan can be reached at jduncan@timespicayune.com or (504)¤826-3404. 